1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, such as an automotive seat, and in particular, relates to a detachable type of seat used in a load-carrying area of the vehicle, where either luggage or occupant is to be accommodated, as required, wherein the seat may be removed the vehicle floor for allowing a luggage to be placed on the floor, or may remain mounted on the floor for enabling an occupant to sit on the seat.
2. Description of Prior Art
Typically, a hitherto detachable-type seat, which is used in the load-carrying area of vehicle, is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B).
According to this prior art, a pair of support brackets (12)(13) are fixed on the lower surface of a seat cushion (11) such that they are each disposed on both sides of and forwardly of the seat cushion (11), and provided rotatably to the respective two support brackets (12)(13), are each a pair of lock members (14)(15) via a connecting rod (16) which extends between the two support brackets (13)(14), with both ends of the connecting rod (16) being each rotatably supported through the respective two support brackets (13)(14). The lock members (14)(15) are fixed on the connecting rod (16) and one end of the connecting rod (16) is fixedly connected with an operation lever (17), so that the vertical rotation of the lever (17) results in the simultaneous likewise rotations of the two lock members (14)(15). As shown, those lock members (14)(15) have notched latch parts, respectively, which are to receive the corresponding support pins (18a)(19a) respectively of two base brackets (18)(19) fixed on the floor (F) of the vehicle.
The support brackets (12)(13) are resspectively formed with engagement recesses (12a)(13a) in which the support pins (18a)(19a) are respectively to engage.
Thus, from FIG. 1, wherein seat cushion (11) is shown as being attached to the floor (F), it is seen that the notched latch parts of the lock members (14)(15) and engagement recesses (12a)(13a) of the support brackets (12)(13) cooperate to encircle therein the respective support pins (18a)(19a) of the base brackets (18)(19), thereby locking the attachment of the seat cushion (11) to the base brackets (18)(19).
On the other hand, as in FIG. 2, to remove the seat cushion (11) from the base brackets (18)(19), rotating the lever (17) downwardly cuases upward rotation of the lock members (14)(15) to thereby open the engagement recesses (12a)(13a), allowing the the seat cushion (11) to be taken out, with the support pins (18a)(19a) being passed from the engagement recesses (12a)(13a).
However, the prior art has been found disadvantageous in that the process of removing the seat cushion (11) involves such annoying, troublesome steps wherein an operator has to use his both hands differently; namely, us e his one hand to turn the lever (17) while using his other hand to lift up the seat cushion (11), and then turn the removed seat cushion (11) to an easy-to-hold state, requiring an unexpected hard labor on the operator's side. In addition, the projection of the lever (17) laterally of the seat will be easily subject to a bump and clash against or capture in other objects, damaging itself or the objects, and further, because of that, there is a high likelihood of the lever (17) being accidentally turned to release the locked state of the seat cushion (11), causing the separation thereof from the floor and throwing an occupant thereon into an undesired injury.